Lachit Borphukan: The Legendary Ahom Warrior, Who Defeated Aurangzeb In Battle Of Saraighat
In Indian history, very few kings and generals ever tried to?stop the Mughal war machine and their expansion plans over the Indian subcontinent. They not only stopped the ways of the Mughals in their tracks but were also responsible for shaping the country and region as we know them today.
Lachit Borphukan, the general of the Ahom Kingdom, is best known for fighting off the Mughals, defeating them in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 on the banks of the Brahmaputra near Guwahati.?
On November 24, Assam is celebrating the 401st birth anniversary of one of the state's greatest sons, 17th-century Ahom geeral Lachit Brophukan. But very few of us know about the?legendary Ahom warrior Lachit Borphukan. So, no need to worry; here's all about the legendary Ahom warrior, who defeated Mughal rural Aurangzeb in the battle of Saraighat.
Who was Ahom commander Lachit Borphukan?
Born on?November 24, 1622,?Lachit Borphukon is a 17th-century commander of the Ahom forces.?Borphukon is renowned for the 1671 battle of Saraighat, where he destroyed the Mughal naval flotilla on the mighty Brahmaputra river. Borphukon's?father, Momai Tamuli Borbarua, was the commander-in-chief of the Ahom army.??
The origins of?Assam's name in the words Asama?or invincible clearly denote how this northeastern land held its own for 600 years throughout India¡¯s mediaeval history. It has been ruled by the powerful Ahoms since the mid-13th century and has been saved numerous times by Mughal attacks, which is why the name of the legendary general Lachit Borphukan has become synonymous with valour and courage in Assam history.
About Ahom kingdom
The Ahom kingdom had been repeatedly attacked by the Turkic and Afghan rulers of the Delhi Sultanate and later by the Mughals. The Mughal-Ahom wars had been going on since 1615-16, with the first Mughal attack on Assam with a view to capturing the region. The Ahoms had ruled major parts of Assam for nearly 600 years, between 1228 and 1826.
From 1615 to 1639, many battles would be fought between the two, and tired of war, both sides agreed to sign a treaty after the Mughals had advanced into Assam and captured Kamrup.
Ahoms suffered a humiliating defeat in 1663
This did not go unnoticed by?Aurangzeb, and when he took the throne, he immediately ordered?Mir Jumla?to annex Assam again.
In 1663, the Ahoms suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Mir Jumla, the Bengal subedar of the Mughal empire, following which the Treaty of Ghilajarighat was signed. After the defeat of the Mughals heartbroken, Ahom king Jayadhwaj Singha died.?Soon after, Chakradhwaja Singha took over the empire in 1663, and he had not forgotten the humiliation and swore to drive the invaders out of Assam.
Lachit Borphukan appointed as the commander of the Ahom army
To give a proud moment to their ancestors and citizens, in August 1667, the Ahom King appointed?Borphukan as the commander of the Ahom army. Under the guidance of?Lachit Borphukan, the Ahom Army started its decisive march and, within a short span of two months, not only drove out the Mughals and captured the new faujdar of Guwahati, Syed Firoz Khan, but also claimed their lost glory and prestige.
Alarmed by the losses, Mughal king Aurangzeb sent a large army that consisted of around 4,000 troopers, 30,000 infantry, 21 Rajput chiefs with their contingents, 18,000 cavalries, 15,000 archers, 5,000 gunners, 1,000 cannons, and 40 ships.
Battle Of Saraighat in 1671
Borphukan, who led the army of the Ahom kingdom, which covered most of present-day Assam, is one of the most revered military icons of the country, knew it would be impossible to defeat the Mughal army on the open plains. So he resorted to guerrilla warfare and bided his time to launch a counterattack. Borphukan, built several mud embankments in Guwahati to halt the movement of the Mughal army, particularly the cavalry.
Borphukan's main objective in this diversion of the army was because he knew well that the Mughal army was not good at naval preparedness, hence he wanted to force them to take the river route.
During the time of building these embankments on the Brahmaputra,?Borphukan realised that the Brahmaputra river was narrowest at Saraighat, making it an ideal naval blockade location for Ahoms. This smart use of terrain for limiting the enemy¡¯s movement via land and making him fight at a place of his choosing would prove to be one of the best decisions Lachit took.
Despite being terribly ill, Borphukan led the Ahom army from the front during the naval battle that was fought in the Brahmaputra at Saraighat, near Guwahati.?Borphukan's mind game strengthened the Ahom army and attacked the Mughal navy from all sides.
The legacy of his unflagging valour, determination, and war skills has become an integral part of Assamese culture and identity. After the glorious victory of Saraighat, Lachit Borphukan died on April 25, 1672.
Not found recognition beyond Assam
In honour of?Borphukan, the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla in Pune confers the Lachit Borphukan gold medal?to its best cadet every year. This gold medal was instituted in 1999 after an announcement by army chief?General V.P. Malik. He said this medal would inspire defence personnel to emulate Borphukan¡¯s heroism and sacrifices.
Even now, Borphukan has not found any recognition beyond his region of Assam the way several other heroes of Indian history, such as Maharana Pratap and Chhatrapati Shivaji, have across the country.
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